Hermione's phone rang and she lunged from her curled up spot in her plush armchair to grab the device from the coffee table. Flipping it open, she raised it to her ear and exclaimed, "I hear congratulations are in order!"

She could practically see her younger cousin's sappy grin. "Thanks, Mi!" Bella Swan was a year and a half younger than Hermione, but the girls had been inseparable during visits and considered one another the sister they never had.

Hermione settled back into her chair, crossing her legs. "Bella Cullen," she mused. "What do you think? Are you excited or nervous?"

Bella giggled into the phone. "Both? I guess?"

"I get what you mean," Hermione agreed. "It seems like just yesterday you were running away from boys and shrieking that they had cooties, then fervently declaring that you were never going to get married because 'boys are ewww.'" They both laughed.

"When are you arriving?" Bella asked. "Edward's siblings are simply dying to meet you."

There was a scuffling noise in the background before a male voice stage-whispered, "Well, all except Rose." Distant laughter. "Ow!" More laughter.

Bella came back on. "Sorry, Mi," she apologised. "I'm with them right now."

"Who was that?" asked Hermione, amusement lacing her tone.

"That was Emmett," sighed Bella. "Here with me is Emmett, the little kid brother, Alice, the fashionista, and Rosalie, the ice queen. Oh, and Edward's here beside me. Jasper, the, uh, strict one, is somewhere."

"They sound very interesting."

"I can't wait until you arrive!" squealed Bella. "It's going to be so much fun! We can dare one another to prank people and go on romps with Sam like we did in the old days."

"Sam? Sam Uley?" a feminine voice questioned haughtily. "What were you doing associating with that mutt?"

"Hermione!" Bella sounded a bit harried. "I'll call you back later, okay? Sorry, I'm being called."

"Sure," Hermione said, bemused. "Talk to you later, Bells."

Click.

•

"Why were you with Sam Uley?" Rosalie demanded as soon as Bella hung up.

"We were friends," shrugged the brunette. "Mia's a closer friend of his than I was, but we still had fun together."

Edward had stayed quiet, but now he spoke: "I don't want you seeing him."

Bella's eyes widened and then she scowled. "You can't control me, Edward! I'm my own person, and Sam wouldn't hurt me."

"You don't know that," argued Edward. Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett exchanged glances and sidled out of the room. Edward and Bella didn't even notice. "He's a mutt, Bella. You know they can't be trusted!"

"All I know is that you're acting immaturely and out of jealousy." Bella shook her head and got up. "I can understand your concern for the other members of the pack, but Sam's a friend. Besides, he knows Hermione would kill anyone who hurts me — or any of her other loved ones." She laughed lightly; Edward didn't.

The vampires listening from the other room turned to one another with the same thought. "Kill?"